


clumsy

by WritingOnTheWalls



Category: King Falls AM (Podcast)
Genre: Don't Ask, Fluff, I love him, Jack falls over a lot around people he likes, Jack is a clumsy newborn lamb, M/M, Mostly JAMMY though, Trying to write, and absolutely an awkward dork, fuelling the little OT3 part of my heart, just love me, me pretending i know things about how american schools work
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-08
Updated: 2019-08-08
Packaged: 2020-08-12 00:09:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,357
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20162437
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WritingOnTheWalls/pseuds/WritingOnTheWalls
Summary: falling in love is hard, especially when that falling happens to be physical.





	clumsy

The first documented incident had been in first grade.    
Jack Wright was short, smart and pretty. He had wide brown eyes, and long lashes, and a smile that was way too big and toothy for his chubby baby face. He was the kind of boy who had mothers pushing their daughters at, insisting that their child deserved to be his  _ one true love.  _ Which was obviously utterly ridiculous, because everyone involved was barely five, but it was good for making Jack’s mother Daisy giggle, which was a blessing in her son’s eyes. He was mostly oblivious to the reasoning behind it, of course. He was too absorbed in things like pretending he knew how to read, or building a better lego-tower than his twin-sister Lily. If anybody stared too long at her baby (by three minutes, she’d never let it go) brother, they’d hear about it. 

Until the day Frankie Tsaris joined their first grade class, and it was like the entire universe shifted into place. He’d been ushered in twenty minutes after the first bell, and Jack had been busy scribbling his own name over and over onto a piece of dark pink card. He’d looked up momentarily, and his sky blue crayon had snapped clean in two. Ignoring the protests of his friends, he’d practically thrown himself out of his plastic chair in his haste to reach the front of the classroom. His teacher had given him a wide smile, and moved to introduce him to the new boy, but she’d barely gotten the first syllable out before Jack had proceeded to trip over his own too-big feet in his excitement, stumbling over a pile of brightly coloured bricks, slamming straight into the new boy who had squeaked in complete and utter terror. 

Thankfully, they’d quickly recovered from that awkward first encounter, and had spent a solid six months afterwards wrestling over Street Sharks, drawing stars on the classroom walls, and torturing Lily and the horde of admirers she called ‘friends.’ When Frankie’s parents had told him he was moving, something had tugged at Jack’s heart. Something he didn’t have a word for yet. He’d seen a lot of big-kid movies though, and knew the right thing to do. 

He’d found himself outside Frankie’s house on moving day, and pulled his best friend behind the over-large moving truck. He’d once again tripped over his feet, but his friend had pulled him up with a giggle, and a smile, and Jack was suddenly sure. He tugged his friend close, pressed a quick kiss to his lips, and grinned.    
  
Frankie had paused, screwed up his face, and let out a little ‘ew.’ Before laughing brightly, and kissing Jack back, square on the lips.

They never saw each other again, which was circumstantial more than anything. Frankie moved too often, and Jack was too young to be able to keep in contact, but on nights when Jack was feeling alone, and out of his depth, he would press his hand to his lips, remember the little tingle, and smile. 

* * *

He didn’t feel anything close to that until sixth grade. Starting middle school was always going to be awkward, but Jack’s feet were still much too big for his body. He tried out for all the sports teams, but was too clumsy to actually make any. He spent a lot of time with his sister and her friends, throwing erasers at kids who had their backs turned, and trying not to be the kid who ended up having their face flushed down the toilet.   


He succeeded, for the most part, partially because of Lily, partially because he was just too damn likeable. He read a lot of books that year, out of interest more than necessity, and he found himself falling in love with life, fictional or otherwise. 

It was a Saturday afternoon, and he’d ridden his bike to the local library to check out the newest Harry Potter book. They’d not enough money to purchase it themselves, and his friends were all taking much too long to read it for his liking. His eyes had instantly fallen on a petite girl, sitting alone on a cherry-red beanbag in the corner, and he’d promptly ran straight into a cart full of library books. 

The books had tumbled on top of him, and he sat in a pile dazed for a few moments. He realised with a start that a frowning librarian was yelling at him, and he apologised profusely before fleeing. 

He’d hoped the girl hadn’t seen, didn’t know how she couldn’t have, but when he turned back to look, she was gone. 

Jack’s stomach once again twisted, this time at a missed opportunity, and he was so busy wallowing that when somebody tapped him on the shoulder, he nearly shrieked in terror. 

“You dropped your glasses.” It was the girl, and she was smiling at him, aforementioned glasses held out to him, an obvious offering.

“I, uh. Thanks,” he spluttered out, gracious and nervous all at the same time. He took his glasses, and she smiled and turned to leave, before he reached out his hand to touch her arm. “Wait.” 

“Yes?” 

“Do you, uh. Come here often?” Her own glasses were much too big for her face, which was now flushed a pretty pink, but Jack thought they looked perfect. Wonderful. 

They spent a lot of time together after that, much to the dismay of Lily who definitely did not like Jack having another girl in his life. They’d been caught kissing behind the stacks of the library one too many times, and when Jack had quietly come out to her the first week of high school, she’d been good about it. For the most part. They still dated a while after that, since Jack had decided it wasn’t "gender" that mattered, but eventually the stress of life had gotten to their teenage brains, and they’d broken it off. 

Four years was a decent enough try, after all. 

* * *

College was a nightmare. Jack had become decidedly less clumsy thanks to feet that were suddenly the right size for his body, and a lot of time on the football field. Around people he found attractive though? Entirely different story.   


He’d had a job as a waiter for a while, but had had to quit when one too many cute boys had grinned at him whilst taking their order. Once he’d been able to drink, it was even worse. Alcohol did nothing for his coordination, and throw in a few eager girls wanting to get into his pants? He’d never stood a chance.    
Lily teased him about it at every opportunity, but honestly, she was little better. Throw a cute girl in a sweater and she was lost for words in seconds. How she managed to pass classes with cute TA’s completely blew Jack’s mind. 

(Jack himself had stumbled his way through college well enough, until senior year had found him paired with a too-cute roommate. He was tricky to avoid, but it became a lot easier when he started bringing his girlfriend home. She was a moaner. Which was perfect.) 

Jack never dated though. He’d kissed a few girls at parties, and thrown up over way too many crushes, but he’d spent most of college obsessed with somebody he could never have. Because that person was a boy. The kind of boy who would definitely punch Jack in the face if he knew the significance behind Jack pointedly tripping over nothing every time he glanced in his direction.

The only freedom from his clumsy fate had been on the football field, but even that would be ending soon.

He’d started to give up hope, condemning himself to a lifetime of falling, without anybody there to receive him.    
  
Until he fell into the lap of one Sammy Stevens. 

* * *

Jack was running late. He was usually running late, which was probably his worst trait, obnoxious physical reaction to crushing aside. Lily was going to berate him (no surprises there) especially since they had a very important meeting lined up that morning. She’d bullied her way into an interview for a morning talk-back radio show, and had sweetly suggested that Jack and her were a two-person package. Jack himself was more of a producer, but apparently they were interviewing with another person - who’s name Jack had pointedly blocked out.   


He wasn’t expecting much. Those kinds of on-air talent were usually more Lily-people than Jack-people. He could talk about sport to them, and that was about it. They were usually obnoxious assholes. Not worth a second glance.

Jack had promised Lily. 

Jack was running late. 

He scooted into the entrance of the building a whole two-minutes early, and stood panting in the doorway. Lily was glowering at him, but he pointed as his watch, and she sighed. 

“Wright, this is Stevens.” 

“Lily, I’ve told you a thousand times not to call me-” Jack stopped. 

He stopped, he stared. His mouth fell open, and he stuttered out a ‘h-hi.’ 

The man in front of him was. Not real, surely? He was tall, solid and frowning. His golden hair was cropped short at the sides, but he had long bangs that absolutely failed to cover his bright, shining eyes. He was glancing around anxiously, running an awkward hand through his aforementioned hair before offering it to Jack. 

“Sammy,” said Sammy, who grinned shyly at the slightly shorter Jack. 

This interaction had taken an entire two seconds, and somehow Jack’s brain had still managed to short-circuit. He stuttered something unintelligible, reached out his hand to grab the pre-offered one, before promptly tripping over onto the bigger boy. 

The proceeding scene, somehow ended up in a blushing, babbling Jack in Sammy's lap, apologising loudly as Lily rolled her eyes, and Sammy laughed quietly. 

“I see you’ve all met,” was the amused remark from the doorway, before Sammy hauled Jack up and tugged him inside. 

“C’mon, let’s make this mean something.” 

* * *

Jack stumbled through a thousand interactions with Sammy over the years. He was like a newborn lamb, clumsy. Uncertain. In awe. 

Sammy took it all in stride, and was hardly surprised when Jack admitted to having feelings for him. “You fell for me hard, huh?”

The first time Sammy had come to watch him play football (at the insistence of Lily) was one hundred percent worth the look of dazed awe on his friend’s face. He wasn’t a mess all the time, there was the proof. 

Their first (secret) date was awkward, and lovely, and Jack fell over a total of sixteen times, much to the delight of Lily when the events were recounted later. Part of Jack was okay with it. Keeping it a secret. 

In this world, they had to. Maybe one day they wouldn’t, but for now? Being able to trip and having Sammy around to catch him was worth it all. It would get easier. It had to. 

Sex was hard for most people (Lily claimed) but Jack was gawky and awkward and surely really bad at it. Sammy still loved him, and that was perfect. Tangled limbs and falling-out-of-bed and all.

Until it got worse, and Jack was falling into something else. Something dark, and ominous, and way over his head. He’d managed to trip his way into The Void, and part of him thought he’d never get out. 

Until he did. 

Then he was stumbling down the aisle on his wedding day, as clumsy and nervous as the first time he’d felt in-love, straight into the arms of the one person always waiting to catch him. They’d giggled, and kissed and held hands and danced. The ceremony had been small, but wonderful. 

Jack had tripped Sammy (“accidentally” he claimed) into their small wedding cake, and Sammy had acted affronted until Jack had tugged him down by the tie and licked his face clean of chocolate and frosting. Ben had pouted until Jack had licked some off his face, too. Then Lily was licking some off Emily, causing Ben to sulk, and his life was just so full of laughter and happiness and absolutely fucking perfect.

Except he wasn’t done falling. Not yet. 

* * *

He’d been in King Falls (for real) a little over two months by this point. They’d been married a month, since Sammy had insisted, but Jack was feeling a little too overwhelmed to do much of anything. 

The trauma of The Void consumed most of his energy, and the sheer amount of screeching any time he left his room was A Lot. 

They hadn’t had a honey-moon, so when Sammy suggested a quiet picnic by the lake one lazy Sunday afternoon, Jack had readily agreed. He’d been meaning to meet Kingsie, after hearing so much about the sweet girl from Ben, anyway.

He didn’t expect to meet anybody human, it was much too cold for anybody to really be out, which was fine by him. He was lazily resting on the checkerd picnic blanket they’d borrowed from Emily, when Sammy had poked him in the side. 

“Wake up gorgeous, meet Ron Begley.” He shielded his pale face from the sun, and sat up slowly, his eyes settling on a shape in front of him. 

If Jack had been standing, the injuries probably would’ve been much worse. As it happened, he only ended up toppling face-first into the lake. Ron had acted on instinct, flinging off his shirt before jumping into the lake and retrieving a stammering, spluttering Jack. He’d barely been waist deep, but the utter heroic-ness of Ron was lighting up the entire area. He deposited him onto the bank, and ran with a shout to get a blanket to cover the shivering mess that was Jack Wright.

Jack could hardly process this though, all he could think about was uneven ginger hair, perfectly manicured beard, a mess of freckles and how badly he wanted to lay his head on Ron’s large, soft belly and sleep where he knew he’d be safe. 

Sammy chuckled, before reaching around to pull his husband into a fierce hug. “I told you he was beautiful.” 

Jack could only sigh in agreement.   


**Author's Note:**

> Shout-out to the Headcanon channel on the KFAM discord, who are the coolest cool people (come join us), sorry this is such a mess. I LOVE Y'ALL. (Thanks for reading!!)


End file.
